Toby Boyce

By Toby Boyce

Let me start with this: I don’t work and am not receiving any money for this post – unless Google offers it. And to be honest, I have labored against the “mighty one” for years. But here we sit in 2010 and my mind has started to wonder about where the “G” will take the world next.

There have been hushed whispers – and some not so hushed – about Google’s plans and how they are going to impact the real estate market.

The world-wide mega-mart one-stop super MLS? Huh? What? Sorry, I wasn’t going there.

The evolution of social media is in the location-based technologies. Foursquare is supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread in 2010. Then why is it that when I’m sitting in Columbus, Ohio, there are only a handful of updates coming through my stream? Ahh, they’re on Yelp right? Hmm … no.

So where are they doing their location based searches. That’s right. Google Maps.

On June 21, I created a Google Map for my DelawareOH365.com travel site for all that happens in Delaware County. As I write this early in the morning on July 17, that single Google Map has recorded more than 8,000 map views. And I’m the only one posting information – and sporadically, I’ll admit – to the site. What if I opened this up to all residents – or fans – of Delaware County to share their favorite points throughout the county?

Then it would be Foursquare. Without all the freakiness of giving people your information over the Net.

So, I post a “point of interest” to the map. It gives me a chance to upload a photo a photo, a quick “blip” about the location, and even link to another site for those that want information. Does this sound like another product that currently has 79,000,000 people with accounts? That’s right. Twitter.

Could Google Maps roll Foursquare, Twitter, Yelp, and all other microblogging concepts up into a little ball and kick them out of their playground? Yes.

I’m teaching an Internet Lead Generation class to agents. I keep hearing “I don’t like Twitter, what am I going to say?” And I’m not even able to repeat most of the words that were used when we started talking about Foursquare. However, I mentioned Google Maps and the responses were along the lines of “I love Google Maps.” It wasn’t too hard to convince them to see the power of creating a Google Map for their geographic farm – and then adding photos, blog posts, links, and other information – to the people who will see it most.

Google, I’ll take that check now please.

Toby Boyce, MBA, is a real estate practitioner with Keller Williams Consultants Realty in Westerville, Ohio. Visit his Web site: www.delawareohrealestate.com.